Camps & Schools

&lt;lst&gt;The Yorktown High School cast and crew of "Governing Alice," 26 students in total, won “Best Play” in the Virginia High School League’s District One-Act Play Competition on Jan. 26. Grace Folsom, a senior in the cast, also won “Best Actress” at the competition. They were scheduled to perform for community members on Feb. 11 and compete in the Regional Competition on Feb. 12.

“Governing Alice” by Denby Swanson is a modern adaptation of the classic Greek drama, Antigone. The title character, Alice, must respond to the sudden death of her brother, the class valedictorian, who was killed while robbing a convenience store. In honoring her brother, she will have to break some rules.

Superintendent Robert G. Smith and members of the Arlington School Board recognized 121 employees on Thursday, Feb. 3, for their many years of commitment and service. The evening included a reception for honorees, their family members, colleagues and friends, followed by a recognition ceremony at the beginning of the School Board meeting. Honored employees were presented with gifts they selected to mark this milestone in their careers and were personally thanked by Smith and School Board Chairman Libby Garvey. Collectively, the group's cumulative careers represent a total of 2,945 years of service to the students, parents and community of APS.

Arlington Public Schools will hold parent meetings on the topic of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use prevention. The first meeting, on Feb. 17 from 7–8:30 p.m., will be held at Washington-Lee High School, 1300 N. Quincy Street, 22201, in the Little Theater. The second forum will be held on March 1 from 7–8:30 p.m., at Wakefield High School, 4901 S. Chesterfield Rd., 22206, in room 110. Both sessions are identical.

Mimi Fleury, president of Community of Concern, and Beth Kane Davidson, director of the Addiction Treatment Center at Surburban Hospital, will talk candidly with parents about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use prevention strategies. Staff from the Arlington County Department of Human Services Substance Abuse Unit and the Arlington Public School’s Substance Abuse Specialists will be available to talk with parents as well. The meetings are aimed at providing substance abuse prevention education and early intervention services to APS students.

Wakefield High School seniors Luwam Berhane and Andre Razzuri have been selected from among 100,000 applicants as two of 250 finalists in the 2003-2004 Coca-Cola Scholars Program.

In the spring of each program year, finalists attend the Scholars’ Weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, convened by the Coca-Cola Foundation at its expense, to determine recipients of each level of award. While in Atlanta, finalists participate in a personal interview. During this event the Coca-Cola Foundation selects 50 Coca-Cola National Scholars to receive renewable awards of $5,000 each year for four years of post-secondary study. The remaining 200 finalists will be designated Regional Scholars and will receive four-year renewable awards of $1,000 per year.

In addition to being honored at a banquet, the finalists will spend their time in Atlanta attending seminars and social gatherings and touring local landmarks including CNN, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center and the World of Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola scholarships are awarded based on character, personal merit and commitment. Merit is demonstrated through leadership in school, civic and extracurricular activities, academic achievement, and motivation to serve and succeed.

Berhane is the daughter of Teklegeorgis and Gidey Berhane. Razzuri is the son of Fedor Razzuri and Moira Lenehan-Razzuri.

Parents, students, and community members are invited to attend Randolph Elementary School’s first Starbooks Café on Feb. 17 from 7- 8:30 p.m.

Coffee, tea, hot cocoa and cookies will be served in the cafeteria, which will be decorated like a café. Frank Palomeque, a second grade instructional assistant at Randolph, will play the classical accordion and keyboard for guests as they enjoy refreshments. Between musical sets Randolph teachers will recite verses from their favorite poetry while Randolph third graders will share poetry, essays and short stories they have written in class.

Throughout the evening members of the H.B. Woodlawn Jazz Ensemble will perform, and parents and students will have the opportunity to participate in arts and crafts activities, free of charge. Additionally, guests are invited to participate in Reading Bingo in the library. Guests will have the opportunity to win free books.

The purpose of the event is to encourage reading and writing for fun among Randolph students and families.

Randolph is located at 1306 S. Quincy St., 22204. Call Bridget Kraft at 703-228-8197 or Rita Wiggins at 703-228-2321.

On Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., Arlington community members are invited to attend a presentation by Astronaut Dr. Janice Voss in the school’s multipurpose room. Voss will talk with guests about her role in the February 2000 shuttle mission to re-map the Earth in high-resolution radar

The following day Voss will meet with Arlington Science Focus students and staff during a school wide assembly in the multipurpose room to discuss the shuttle mission. Students will also have an opportunity to ask questions.

In preparation for her visit, Arlington Science Focus second- and third-graders have been designing models of the International Space Station. Fourth- and fifth-grade students have designed glovebox models similar to those used by the astronauts on the space shuttle. Gloveboxes are sealed boxes that have a set of gloves built in so astronauts can conduct experiments inside the glovebox without worrying about gravity. Kindergarten students have designed, built and launched model rockets. First graders have studied the sun’s energy and built models of satellites.

Voss’ visit to Arlington Science Focus School has been spearheaded by Investigation Station teacher Barbara Jones and ASFS third-grade parent Linda Voss, who is the sister of Janice Voss. Call 703-228-7670.

Students, parents and community members are invited to come experience Little Orphan Annie’s journey from the slums of New York City to the elegance of upper Manhattan in Kenmore Middle School’s sixth-grade musical production of “Annie, Jr.” on Thursday, Feb. 17, and Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium.

Through their “ShowTime” elective class, a product of Kenmore’s Arts and Communications Technology Focus program, about 60 students have been learning about theater arts, vocal music and art while putting together the production.

“Annie, Jr.,” a modified version of the original “Annie” musical geared specifically for middle school students, takes place in early December 1933 in New York City during the Great Depression. The title character was placed in an orphanage by her parents at an early age. The orphanage is run by the cold-hearted Miss Hannigan. The billionaire Mr. Warbucks agrees to let Annie spend Christmas with him in his mansion and falls in love with her.

The performance is free; however, donations will be accepted. Kenmore is located at 200 S. Carlin Springs Rd., 22204. Call 703-228-6800.

A countywide ceremony at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 1, in the Washington-Lee High School auditorium honored Arlington’s top PTA Reflections contest winners.

Superintendent of Schools Robert Smith; School Board members Libby Garvey, David Foster, Elaine Furlow, Mary Hynes and Frank Wilson; and County Council of PTA President Larry Fishtahler were on hand to congratulate the students and present awards.

The annual Reflections program, sponsored by the National PTA, stimulates creativity by recognizing achievement in music, literature, visual arts and photography. Students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade are eligible to enter, and over 1,300 Arlington students submitted pieces at their local schools under this year’s theme, “A Different Kind of Hero.” Each school’s first-place winners are recognized at the county ceremony. The works that receive first place in the county level of Reflections enter into competition in the Fairfax District. The contest continues at the state and national levels.

Harish Mudegowda Basavaraj and Prakash Rao Sattu from Arlington have graduated from Texas A & M University in Commerce, Texas. Both have earned a Master of Science and were among 704 students to receive diplomas at the Fall 2004 Commencement.

Terence R. Whitehead and Molly E. Guilfoyle, both of Arlington, earned dean’s list status for the fall 2004 semester at Coastal Carolina University. To qualify for the dean’s list, freshmen must earn a 3.25 grade point average, and upperclassmen must earn a 3.5 grade point average and be enrolled full time.